Railroad-crossing



l. P. HOUK.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION man swr. 6. |919.

A TTORNEYS I. P. HOUK.

RAILROAD CROSSING. APPLICATION FILED SEPI. 6. I9I9;

1,341,320, K Patented May 25, 1920.

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l. Vfl-TORNEI@ J. P. HOUK. RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLxcATloN man SUT. 6, 1919.

WIT/VESSES Patented 'May 25, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

BY u

A TTOHNEYS J. P. HOUK.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. e, 1919 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JAMES PAUL HOUK, 0F NEW ALBANY, MIE-LSISSIPPI.

RAILROAD-CROSSING.

To all whom it may concer/a:

Be it known that I, JAMES PAUL IIoUK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Albany, in the county of Union and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in railroad crossings, and has for its object to provide a crossing wherein the shock and jar of the wheel crossing the space between rails is eliminated, a bridge being provided normally spring held in position to support the crossing wheel, but arranged to be moved out of' the way of a wheel coming at right angles.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved crossing,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the quarters of the crossing,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2, j

Fig. 4 is a partial perspective View of the bridge and its mounting,

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a portion of the plate supporting the crossing,

Fig. 6 Ais a similar view of a modified forni of plate.

In the present embodiment of the invention the improved crossing is composed of a central square frame 1 and to this are bolted rail sections 2 in spaced and parallel relation, each rail section being adjacent to one of the sides of the square. Filler blocks 3 are arranged intermediate the ends of the rail sections, and the filler blocks and the rail sections, as well as the bridges to be later described, are connected with the frame by bolts and nuts 4.

The inner faces of the filler blocks are spaced from the outer faces of the frame sides a suflicient distance to permit the easy passage of the wheel flanges. An angular piece 5 is arranged at each corner of the frame, the sides of each angular piece being parallel with the sides of the square, and these angular pieces are connected to the rails 6 and 6d of the tracks, by means of plates 7, and bolts and nuts 8. The bolts and nuts 8 also connect guard rails 9 to the rails 6 and 6, holding the guard rails in spaced relation with respect to the rails 6 and 6*.

Each of the bridges is an angular piece,

Specification of Letters Patent.

raient-eu May as, 1920.

Application led September 6, 1919. Serial No. 322,076.

consisting of two portions extending at right angles with respect to each other, and two bridges are arranged at each corner of the central frame, the bridges of each pair being symmetrically disposed.- Each bridge consists of an arm 10 and an arm 10, The arm 1() oi each bridge is mounted to slide 'toward and from the adjacent face of the adjacent angular piece, on bolts 11 and 12, and the arm 10a of each bridge is slotted to receive two oiI the bolts il which connect the adjacent end of the rail 2 to the frame.

Each bolt 11 passes through a plate T and an arm of the adjacent angular piece 5, and through the arin 1() of the ln'idge. that end of the bolt adjacent to the bridge being supported by a bracket 13. The bolt 12 similarly arranged being supported by a similar bracket 14, and the said bolt is of' greater length than the bolt 11, so that the bracket 14 is spaced inwardly from the bracket 13. A coil spring 15 encircles each bolt 12 between the bracket and the bridge, and normally acts to force the bracket to ward the adjacent arm of the adjacent angular piece Referring especially to Fig. 4t, it will be noted that that face of the arin 1() of the bridge which presses against the adjacent arm of the adjacent angular piece is cam shaped as indicated at 16.

The arm 1() oi each bridge piece is normally held in close contact with the adjacent angular piece, by its spring 15, but the arrangement is such that the wheel flanges passing between the bridge and the angular piece, which is a continuation oit the rail, will by its engagement with the cam surfaces force the bridge laterally, so that it will not interfere with the passage oi the flanges. In a single track crossing eight bridges are provided. two for each corner or quarter of the crossing. Each bridge is mounted to slide longitudinally of that face of the central square with which the arm 10*t is parallel. the said arm having slots 17 through which the bolts 4.- eXtend. Each bridge normally lies against the continuation of' the adjacent rail, that is, a continuation of that rail with which its arm 10 is parallel., and the said arm and the arm ,10aL form a bridge for bridging the space which forms a gutter lor the wheel {ianges of the other track, supporting the wheels at the said glitter. so thatthere is neither shock nor ar in the passage.

In Fig. 5 is shown a portion of the plate which supports the crossing and upon which the bridges 10--10a slide. This plate consists of a square open frame 18, having at each corner similar extensions 19 of the adjacent sides. The sides 8 are of such width that they will underlie the frame members 1', the filler blocks 3 and the rail sections 2, extending across the wheel flange gutter between the filler blocks and the short rail section. The extensions 19 are of greater width adjacent to their connection with the central frame, and the frame sides are of greater widthv at the cornersthus providing surfaces upon which the bridges move. Referring to Fig. 2 it willV be noticed that the filler blocks?) have their ends spaced apart from the ends of the arms 1()a of the bridges a sufficient distance to permit free movement of the bridges when moved by the wheel ange. The rail 2 has a sand waste hole behind the filler blocks, so that sand which falls between the rails may pass.

. In Fig. 6 is shown a modified form of support for the crossing. This support may be in the form of a square open frame 19 having web-like extensions 20 at its corners which carry the angular pieces 21 corresponding to the pieces 5` of F ig. 1. These pieces 21, the webs 20 and the frame may be an integral construction, or they may be secured together in any suitable or desired manner. Filler blocks 22 are provided, which are secured on the inner faces of the angular pieces 2l, the said blocks having beveled ends 23 at the ends of the bridges 10.

I claim: l

7 an open rectangular frame disposed. 1n-

wardly of all of said bar members, filler l members secured between said bars and said frame and rigidly secured thereto, said filler members being of considerably less length than said bars whereby the ends oi. the bars will project therebeyond, bolts passing through the projecting ends of said bars and through said frame, and a pair of movable bridge members disposed at each corner of the crossing at diagonally opposite corners of the rail intersections, each bridge member including portions extending at right angles to each other with one portion disposed in alinement with and in spaced relation to the adjacent ller member and the other portion extending in parallel relation to the adjacent rail, said first named portion being provided with slots engaged upon and slidable with respect to said bolts, the tace of said second named portion disposed toward said rigid corner members being inclined at both ends, a rigid support adjacent each of' said bridge members, a rod carried by each bridge member and slidable through the support, and a coil spring surrounding each rod, abutting against the support and abutting against the bridge member.

JAMES PAUL HOUK. 

